THE FLEA
ANNOUNCES
COMPLETE CAST AND DESIGN TEAM FOR
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
ZORA HOWARD’S
“HANG TIME”
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST
ZORA HOWARD
STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT BEGINS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023
AND RUNS THROUGH MONDAY, APRIL 3
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!
The Flea announced today the complete cast and design team for the world-premiere production of HANG TIME, the new play written and directed by Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard. The strictly limited engagement, which marks Ms. Howard’s directorial debut, will begin performances at The Flea (20 Thomas Street) on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, and run through Monday, April 3. Tickets are now available at theflea.org/shows/hang-time.
HANG TIME’s cast includes Akron Watson as ‘Slim,’ Cecil Blutcher as ‘Blood,’ and Dion Graham as ‘Bird.” Aaron Morton will understudy the three roles.
The newly assembled design team for HANG TIME features Neal Wilkinson (Scenic Design), Reza Behjat (Lighting Design), Dominique Fawn Hill (Costume Design), Megan Culley (Sound Design), and Charlie Oates (Movement Direction), with casting by Stephanie Yankwitt, CSA, tbd casting co.
In line with The Flea’s radical new operating model, HANG TIME has been developed in partnership with Zora Howard as co-producer on all elements of her production, including budget partnership. HANG TIME is also produced in partnership with WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center in Los Angeles, where its 2024 West Coast premiere will take place.
“We are thrilled to partner with Zora on this stunning new play. She is an artist in full command of a complete arsenal of theatrical tools, from her deft writing to her inventive visual poetry. This is a work for anyone and everyone with an interest in our American story,” said Niegel Smith (Executive Artistic Director, The Flea). “We are also incredibly grateful to our friends and partners at WACO Theater Center, who are working with us to ensure that Zora’s vision will continue impacting audiences long after our run concludes.”
Shay Wafer (Executive Director, WACO Theater Center) added, “When we share Black stories that shine a light on injustice, we honor those who fought against a system that wasn’t built for them to succeed. This play serves as an exploration of the expectations placed on Black men in America, and the ways in which their humanity continues to triumph over the brutality that has been brought against them.”
Three men chew the fat under an old, wide tree. In HANG TIME, we peek into the interiority – the great loves and bitter blues – of Black men in America. Setting the romantic and the macabre in sharp relief, HANG TIME invites the viewer to envisage the living Black body triumphant over the legacy of violence that it holds.
“This play has been haunting me for years,” explained Ms. Howard. “When I first shared the work and my intention to direct with Niegel and Martin at the Flea, I was met with not only enthusiasm but also a commitment to center my vision for its production. In the months following our initial conversation, that commitment has only deepened. I am thrilled to be embarking on this journey with the Flea to finally bring HANG TIME to life.”
The Flea was refounded in 2021 with the mission to support and invest in experimental art by Black, brown, and queer artists. The Flea provides space, financial support, producing partnerships,s, and other resources so that they may develop and share their vision in the community with audiences.
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